Emerald Ash Borer Edges Closer to New England

May 5, 2012

What does it mean to New Hampshire?

The USDA Forest Service reports emerald ash borer (EAB)—a non-native and destructive insect—recently crossed the Hudson River in New York—its last major natural eastward obstacle. The good news is that forestry officials believe the infestation is less than a year old and it is isolated.

“It is very manageable at that age,” said Forest Service entomologist, Nate Siegert. “It’s rare that infestations are detected this early. Management can have a much greater impact on the EAB population at this stage of infestation.” The borer was found in trap trees—girdled ash that act like magnets for the EAB.

The emerald ash borer, a native to China, has already killed tens of millions of ash trees across much of the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Northeast in the decade since it was first detected near Detroit in 2002. This new New York infestation appears to have originated by some other means than the natural spread of the insect, said Siegert. The USDA Forest Service press release has more detail on the find and what is being done.

New England foresters are bracing for the arrival of EAB. The easternmost EAB population is within 25 miles of the Connecticut and Massachusetts state lines. The Vermont Dept. of Forests, Parks and Recreation just published Ash Management Guidelines for Forest Managers, full of practical information that landowners and foresters can adapt to New Hampshire.

The emerald ash borer is added to our list of non-native, destructive insects we are asking the public to be on the lookout for. Others include Asian longhorned beetle and hemlock woolly adelgid. Learn more about emerald ash borer. The more people looking for it, the greater the likelihood if it arrives in New Hampshire, we can take prompt steps to control it.